“How is it that you Christians believe in a human god who eats, drinks and sleeps? You should be ashamed of yourself. ”
Unfortunately, this is the message conveyed by mosques and the media all day long. They make Muslims believe that Christians worship a human god, therefore weak and unreliable. It follows that some of them turn the Christians into derision, and refuse to approach the subject. On the other hand, others question and accept willingly to discuss spiritual issues with greater openness. If this is your case, this brief interview is for you. So I encourage you to read it in full before making your own conclusion.
1- Where do Christians come from this expression of Jesus, the Son of God?
It is not a fact thought or established at random by a man. It is rather an affirmation that emanates directly from the Word of God. You may be surprised to know that Christians are shocked at the idea that Jesus is the biological son of God. The term “Son of God” in no way implies that Jesus was conceived following a physical relationship between God and Mary. There is nothing more wrong! Know that for Christians too, such a thought is repugnant and blasphemous. The Bible affirms that Jesus was conceived by virtue of the power of God himself, not by any human or physical intervention. When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he said to her, “Behold, you will become pregnant, and you shall bear a son, and give him the name of Jesus.” He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High (God) “(Luke 1: 31-32). Thirty years after his birth, during his
Earthly ministry, Jesus said to a man, “Do you believe in the Son of God? The man answered, “Who is he that I believe in him? And Jesus said to him, “Thou hast seen him, and he that speaketh unto thee” (John 9: 35-37).
2. What does this expression “Son of God” really mean?
It appears that an erroneous view circulates about the nature of the filiation of Jesus. This misunderstanding arises from the confusion maintained by two meanings of the word “son” even though they are quite distinct. In Arabic, the word waladsous means that a son would be born as a result of a conjugal union. It goes without saying that if we apply this term to the conception and birth of Jesus, it will give a false image completely removed from the truth. It must be evident that the sovereign God can not in any case unite in a carnal relationship with a human being.
On the other hand, “ibn” always in Arabic is the word used to describe the term “son” throughout the Arabic version of the Bible to express the link between Jesus and God. It is thus that the expression “Ibnu-Rab” (Son of God), far from suggesting any physical bond, rather alludes to strong spiritual bonds, to emphasize resemblance and perfect union.
Let us think for a moment of the use we make of the word “son” (ابن). One day I asked a friend his country of origin. He replied: “I am a son of Tunisia”. Did he want to tell me that Tunisia married a woman to give birth? Absolutely not ! He simply wanted to let me know that he is Tunisian from head to toe and that he bears all the characteristic features. Similarly, when the Bible says that Jesus is the Son of God, it means that he possesses all the characteristics of God. Those who read and speak Arabic can easily understand this notion: فلان عربي ابن عرب, (translated means: this man is an Arab-born Arab). We speak thus to emphasize the Arabic origin of the person, and to highlight the fact that he is really an Arab. So when the Bible says that Jesus is the Son of God, she simply wants to say that he is truly God. We also say, always in Arabic: فلان ابن عشر سنوات (literally: this child is the son of 10 years), to say that he is 10 years old (or equal to 10 years). In the same way, the expression Son of God, applied to Jesus, means that he is equal to God in nature and in essence.
You see, to say that Jesus is the Son of God, absolutely must not be heard in a genetic and natural sense. This does not mean that God married Mary to give birth to Jesus. To say or even think such a thing is a blasphemy. The meaning is much deeper than you think. The prophets Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David and Isaiah understood the true meaning of the phrase, “Son of God.”
What did the prophets of the Old Testament say about the coming of Jesus Christ?
Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the prophet Isaiah proclaimed it: “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us, and dominion shall rest upon his shoulder; He will be called Admirable, Counselor, mighty God, eternal Father, PRince of peace “(Isaiah 9: 5). Isaiah says that a child is born to us, thus affirming the humanity of Jesus, but he also writes that a son is given to us. Jesus was born of a woman – he was born for us, but his birth is of divine origin – he was given to us. The same prophet Isaiah binds us by telling us that the Son who will come will be called: Admirable (Wonderful): This word is usually used in Hebrew to speak of the miraculous work of God. A miracle is an act that is above the domain of the explanation of human thought. In other words, it is a fact that can be attributed only to God. Advise: Like what, all his instructions are wonderful, his extraordinary opinions, his infallible recommendations, and his prodigious advice. He is the only one worth listening to. Jesus is the infinite and perfect wisdom of God. The promised Son will pose exclusive acts that fall within the domain of divine power. And in case we still have doubts, Isaiah adds a testimony that God Himself gives to the subject of Christ, saying, “This also comes from the Lord of hosts; Admirable is his counsel and great is his wisdom. “(Isaiah 28:29). Mighty God: This refers to the divinity and authority of the child that was to be born. It is about him that the Apostle John will say 780 years later: “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), the Word was with God and the Word was God … And the Word was made flesh, and it dwelled Among us full of grace and truth; And we have beheld his glory, a glory as the glory of the only begotten of the Father “(John 1: 1,14). Eternal Father: Literally, the expression means” Father of eternity. ” The reign of the promised Messiah will have no end, and his authority will be like that of a father. In Jesus, we have the reality of a love that will not let us down.Prince of Peace: Jesus alone gives peace, he is the exclusive bearer of it. He said, “I leave you peace, I give you my peace. I do not give you as the world gives “(L’Injil, John 14:27). The peace he gives reconciles man to God. He gives peace to men and women who place their faith in Himself. Many in this world are seeking to make peace, but it is only a waste of time, for peace has already been made. God did not give the key to this peace to mankind, he did it himself, and all we have to do is enter and receive it. So long before the Little child Jesus did not utter his first cry in a manger at Bethlehem, the prophet had predicted that he would be unique. A child born of a woman, human, yes; And at the same time, God. Ask any Jew before the birth of Christ about the person who could have been called the “Son of God”, and he will answer without hesitation: “Only one divine person – equal to God, Being other than God. ” It is not for nothing that when Jesus publicly declared that he was the Son of God, the Jews accused him of blasphemy and asked for his crucifixion.3 But Jesus never gave himself the title of Son Of God in the Bible … Many Muslim friends tell me this, but it is not true. Jesus has repeatedly affirmed that he is the only Son of God. One day he asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am? A question to which Simon Peter replied: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answering said to him, “You are happy, Simon; For it is not the flesh and the blood that hath revealed thee, but it is my Father which is in heaven “(Matthew 16: 15-17). At his arrest, his religious detractors asked him, “You are the Son of God? To this Jesus replied, “You say it, I am” (Luke 22:70). They immediately accused him of blasphemy and demanded his crucifixion. In other passages, Jesus addressed God by calling him “My Father” (Abba), proving by this that he was indeed the Son (Unique) of God. He said, “My Father gives you the true bread of heaven … All that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not put out who comes to me … The will of the one who sent me, Is that whoever sees the Son and believes in him has eternal life; And I will raise him up on the last day “(John 6:33, 37, 40). Elsewhere, Jesus will say to his disciples, “He who has seen me has seen the Father … Believe me, I am in the Father, and the Father is in me” (John 14: 1-11). Jews questioned him and asked him, “If you are the Christ, tell us frankly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. I and the Father are one. Then the Jews took stones to stone him. But Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father; For which do you stone me? The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we stoned you, but for a blasphemy , And because you, who are a man, make you God. “Jesus said to them,” Is it not written in your law, I said, “Are you gods?” If she called the gods those to whom the word of God was addressed, and if Scripture can not be annihilated, the one whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, you say to him: You blasphemies! And because I said, I am the Son of God “(John 10: 22-36) .4 – Who is this Jesus? A prophet or more than a prophet If Jesus asked you today: “Who do you say I am? What will your personal response be? Perhaps you would reply that he is a great master, a great prophet. Jesus asked his disciples the same question: “Who do you say I am, the Son of man? (Matthew 16:13). The disciples replied, “Some say you are John the Baptist; The others, Elias; The other Jeremiah, or one of the prophets “(Matthew 16:14). Today as yesterday, there are those who see Jesus as just a teacher or a prophet. Again, Jesus asked his disciples, “And you, who do you say that I am? (Matthew 16:15). To this the Apostle Peter replied: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). In fact, it is as if Peter said, “It is true that people say that you are a prophet, but for me you are much more than a prophet. You are the Son of God! “. The answer of Jesus to Peter is of the greatest importance: “You are happy, Simon, son of Jonah; For it is not the flesh and the blood that hath revealed thee, but it is my Father which is in heaven. “(Matthew 16:17) Was Jesus a prophet? Certainly. Was he merely a prophet? No. Peter here confesses that he is more than a prophet. The Bible teems with evidence that Jesus is both Man and God. Throughout his life he proved this by eternal attributes and characteristics exclusive to God. He alone reveals to us the true nature of God. He has spoken and made acts unique to God. He has divine names. He can forgive sins and transform lives. He is One with God in perfect unity. He can do everything, he knows all things, he is just and right. He is the only one to be and to have lived without sin. The Qur’an bears witness to its sinless nature (Sura of Mary 19). Remember the many miracles he performed: he raised from the dead, healed the paralyzed, the blind, the dumb, and cleansed the lepers. He chased demons, pacified the storm, fed thousands of people with five loaves and two fish. In the end, while his disciples looked at him, he was taken up into heaven from among them. He never reproached those who worshiped him, accepting their adoration as something quite normal! This is not undeniable proof of his divinity! * Lewis, an illustrious professor of the English universities of Oxford and Cambridge, was agnostic and denied the divinity of Christ for several years. But after examining all the irrefutable proofs of the divinity of Christ, through intellectual honesty, he submitted to Jesus as his God and Savior. We owe him this observation: “You must choose. Either this man was and is the Son of God, or it is a fool or something worse. You can consider him as an idiot, you can spit on him and kill him like a demon; Or you can throw yourself at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But it would be absurd to treat Him with condescension, saying that He was a great master for men. He did not give us that choice. It was not his intention. But why did God come into the world in a body like men? Why did God become a man? What’s the point ? This is an important and legitimate issue. The answer is at the heart of the Christian faith and to know it, we must return to the original creation, at the beginning of all things. It is urgent to grasp the deep meaning of what happened in the Garden of Eden. God had warned Adam and Eve that on the day they sin they will surely die. Well ! They did not mind the commandment of God. They sinned, not by error, but by a deliberate act on their part. Eventually their bodies were buried later, but in a certain way, Adam and Eve died the very day of their revolt against God. Yes, they died spiritually. Before that they had walked in a perfect communion of love with God, but once they had sinned, sin became a wall of separation between them and God, their Creator. A profound gulf ensued between them and God. This is what we call spiritual death. It was because Adam was already spiritually dead, that he also died physically some centuries later. As a consequence To what happened in the Garden of Eden, it is as sinners, separated from God and inclined to evil by nature, that we come into the world. God is Holy, we are sinners and therefore far from Him. “But it is your crimes that put a separation between you and God; It is your sins that hide his face from you, and prevent him from listening to you “(Isaiah 59: 2). By nature, and because of our disobedience, we are therefore alienated from God. Even the prophet David made this confession: “Behold, I was born in iniquity, and my mother conceived me in sin” (Le Zabur, Psalm 51: 7). Similarly, the Apostle Paul says, “All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God” (The Injil, Romans 3:23). Every man is a sinner in his heart, and even if it happens that a person performs acts of external piety, he does not escape the sins which he commits for unavowed motives, words or thoughts. The prophet Isaiah Asked the question: “How can we be saved? “For he said,” We are all like unclean, and all our righteousness is like filthy garments. ” We are all wilted like a leaf, and our crimes take us away like the wind “(Isaiah 64: 5-6). What solution then? Is there a way out? Many are trying to fill the void with their own efforts. Some think that they could regain divine favor by being good people by means of religion. They hope that their good works will balance the balance of their sins, and will allow them to enter paradise. But all this is vanity, for no one is perfect. It is not that their contribution has “almost but not yet” reached God, no; The reality is that they have failed miserably with regard to the requirements of God because we will never attain our criteria by our own efforts. No matter how righteous we seek to appear, we are all condemned by the Word of God which says in the Injil, “Whoever obeys the whole law, but sins against one commandment, becomes guilty of all” (James 2:10). Our sins will never be forgiven if we rely on our own righteousness. The abyss that separates us from God is abysmal and it remains intact. The question remains! What was the solution? One day I sat in the quiet of one afternoon when my attention was drawn to a long line of ants rising and descending along a wall. They tried to carry a grain of wheat at the top of the wall, but without success. The grain of wheat was too heavy for them and the pressure of gravity fairly high. I had trouble for these poor ants, wondering how to help them? If I advanced my hand to seize the seed, they might be afraid, and it would be the saving-who-can. I thought then that the best way to solve their problem and to help them, would be to become one of them, while retaining my strength of man. So I can help them without scaring them. We are a bit like those ants. We could never reach God through our own efforts or through our good works. The gravity (or gravity) of our sins is too great and overcomes all our efforts. God, however, had pity on us, he came into a human body, like ours (while remaining God), in order to free ourselves from the tyranny of sin. He came as a man, but lived without sin, that is what differs from him. We are all sinners while he is sinless. Who is able to restore the broken relationship between God and man? Surely the only one who can fill this void could only be the One who is both God and man, namely Jesus Christ. Thus it was that when Jesus died on the cross he died as the perfect human substitute. He took upon himself the punishment we deserve because of our sins. He broke the wall that separated us from God. But how can a man be the substitute for so many people? From the moment when Jesus is also the Son of God, his sacrifice is fully sufficient to erase the sins of all who believe in him. To sin against the infinite God is to sin infinitely, and this creates a well-earned eternal condemnation. Left to ourselves, we are lost. Only Jesus, the infinite Son of God, was able to take upon himself this eternal condemnation in our place. Can religion save me and restore my communion with God? Absolutely not! Suppose that one day you decide to go to the pool. You throw yourself into the water, and there, hello the damage! You are about to drown yourself, and could do nothing to get you out of business, for you can not swim. Desperate and helpless in the face of the situation, you shout at full throat: “Help! Help ! Someone hears you, but as help and advice, he tells you : “Hold on, rainbow and try to get out. Go go my buddy, you can do it! Nothing could be more strange to say to someone who drowns. A second person arrives and plunges into the waters to your rescue. She swims in your direction and instead of taking you out of the water, she tells you, “Look how I do, and do the same. Do as I do and you’ll get out of it. ” This is ridiculous is not it! This is not the time for you to take swimming lessons. The reality is that a man on the verge of drowning is absolutely incapable of learning anything. Then comes a third person. This one plunges in its turn and takes you out of the pool this time. You can always resist and struggle, but with compassion, this person is determined to save you from death. To which of these three would you be most grateful? The third certainly. Religion is represented by the first two people. By nature, we are drowning in our sins. We are in lovely sheets because of our separation from God. Religion tells us: “Save yourself. Do this and that, do not do this and that and you will be saved. ” Some religious gurus are taken as an example, and to be saved, their followers are asked to imitate their lifestyle. It’s like the second person who plunged into the water. Religion can not save us. We are desperate. The Bible says that we can not save ourselves. That is why we need someone to dive into the deep and troubled waters of our lives, to take hold of us in order to save us from our sins. That is exactly what God did. God knows, “I know your situation, I know that you are separated from me, I know that you are in a dead end situation, I know that you can not get out of it, and I also know that giving you laws , Commandments and commandments can not save you, for you can not and you will not obey it. You are incapable of accomplishing them. But now I come to thee to extirpate thee from the tyranny of sin. ” God thus came into this world in the person of Jesus Christ. He who is saved by Jesus (by confessing his death and resurrection) receives the forgiveness of his sins, and God gives him the grace and assurance of a place in heaven. God has provided the means by which the sinner can “Christ also suffered once for sins, just for the unjust, to bring us to God …” (1 Peter 3:18). Dying on the cross, he died as a perfect substitute for us. He has taken in his body the punishment that our sins deserve. He has made us regain the favor of God. But can one man become the substitute for so many others? Since Jesus is also the Son of God, his sacrifice is therefore amply sufficient to cover the sins of all who place their faith in his person. Sin against God is tantamount to sinning infinitely against this same God and this deserves eternal punishment. Left to ourselves, we will be lost forever. Jesus alone, the eternal Son of God, can perfectly take upon Himself this eternal punishment in our place.6- Where does the Bible say that Jesus is God in a human body? Jesus is a man (in flesh and blood) , But it is at the same time different from all men, being God manifested in the flesh. Many of the verses in the Word of God confirm this, among others: In his first letter to Timothy the Apostle Paul writes: “And unquestionably the mystery of godliness is great: God was manifested in the flesh, justified By the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed in the world, exalted in glory “(1 Timothy 3:16). Writing to the church of Colossus (in modern Turkey), Paul will tell them that in Christ “bodily inhabits all the fullness of God” (Colossians 2: 9). To another church, Paul will say, “Have in you the sentiments that were in Christ Jesus, which exists in the form of God, did not regard as a prey to tear from being equal to God, but stripped himself (Philippians 2: 5-7). And as said above, John, one of the disciples of Christ, wrote, “In the beginning was the Word …” And the Word was God … and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us “(John 1: 1, 14) .7- God ceased to be God when incarnated in a body Human? When God spoke to Moses in the burning bush, did he cease to be God? Of course not ! God can not be limited by anything. When God revealed himself in a human body, he was not at all limited by this humanity. He continued to reign over this universe, he continued to be what he always was (ie God), but in Jesus he became what he was not (man) before. However, it must be clear that Jesus was not 50% God and 50% hom me. He is 100% God and 100% man, fully God and fully man. The divine Person has taken upon Himself human nature. Humanly, it would be impossible to unravel this mystery and how it happened, but the concept is real and can be accepted by faith. It is clear that God has the power to add human nature to Himself, and to do so in such a way as to unite two natures into one Person without ceasing to be God. An illustration will help us to better grasp the thought. Take for example a lamp and place it in a glass niche. Will the crystal glass limit its brightness? No ! On the contrary, because of its dazzling reflection in contact with the glass, this one will shine more beautiful. In the same way, when God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ, the body he took did not prevent him from continuing to be God, which he always was and will remain for ever. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” God became what he was not before in the person of Jesus, a man; While continuing to shine from his glory and to govern the whole universe. This is how he wanted to reveal himself even more clearly and clearly so that the world could know him. What is your answer to what Jesus did for you? I hope that all that has been said throughout Along with this pamphlet has allowed you to grasp what the Holy Word of God would mean by calling Jesus, “Son of God.” And I also hope now that you realize that Christians do not blaspheme against God Almighty by calling it that. I pray that God, who so loved the world, helps you to understand this essential subject. God wishes to come to your rescue and free yourself from the bondage of sin, and to save you from its evil consequences. God is so touched by the condition of man that he came to earth, in a human body, in the person of Jesus, that you may know Him personally and be reconciled with Him. Receive Him now. God wants us to turn away from our sins and seek His mercy and forgiveness. “Let the wicked leave his way, and the man of iniquity his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, who will have mercy on him “(Isaiah 55: 7). God wants to help you and free yourself from the slavery of sin. He does not want you to suffer the consequences of sin. He invites you into his family. This is what he promises you: “But to all who have received it, to all who believe its name, it has given the power to become children of God” (John 1:12). God Has so loved us that he himself came to earth in the form of a man so that we may know him personally and reconcile ourselves with him. Would you like to believe in him, how to receive Jesus as personal Lord and Savior Jesus is incomparable. He invites you to come to him and follow him. He offers you his help for today and hope for tomorrow. His invitation is not for ever, he invites you today. Would not you like to say “YES” to this invitation? If you want to know and follow Jesus, tell him. You can receive Jesus in your life by speaking to him today with a sincere prayer. Open your heart to him, acknowledge your sins and confess them. Ask God to wash away all your sins by the precious blood of Jesus shed on the cross. God forgives those who thus humble themselves before Him. He knows perfectly everything you have on your heart, so there’s no point in hiding anything from him. Recognize Him’s full right to rule over your life and beg Him to make you the person He would like you to be.I urge you to take the Bible seriously. Do not let anything deprive you of the opportunity to put your life in order with God. You may pray (for example): “Lord God, I confess that I am a sinner. Thank you that Jesus took upon Himself the punishment I deserve by dying on the cross for my sins. I believe he rose again, for he has conquered death. I repent today of all my sins and trust in Jesus alone for my salvation. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, I prayed. Amen! “Since you understood Jesus well and prayed to him sincerely, then God is ready to adopt you as his child and to welcome you into his family. Day after day, he will transform your life in a radical way. The Bible promises: “But to all who have received it, to those who believe in its name, it has given the power to become children of God …” (John 1:12).